They say the devil is in the details. But in Durham, the Blue Devils are in the details — and numbers:
10
Duke field hockey just keeps on winning. Sunday, the Blue Devils’ 4-2 victory against James Madison brought them up to an impressive ten wins in a row — the longest win streak the program has seen in its history.
In No. 4 Duke’s preceding game against Virginia Friday, the Blue Devils won 2-1, matching the 2003 record of nine wins in a row and breaking head coach Pam Bustin’s best mark in her tenure.
During Friday’s game, Duke was determined. After the first three quarters went completely scoreless, both teams kicked into overdrive. In the final quarter, the Cavaliers scored and the Blue Devils answered, pushing the game into overtime.
With the clock ticking and just minutes left in the game, senior captain Charlie van Oirschot intercepted a Virgina pass, taking the ball down the field. After a missed pass opportunity to sophomore Alaina McVeigh, van Oirschot regained control, stealing the ball again and sending it just past Cavalier goalkeeper Tyler Kennedy’s reach — sinking it into goal for the win.
Duke will welcome Louisville Oct. 13 for another exciting game as the team looks to continue its hot streak.
44
Graduate student outside hitter Gracie Johnson went on a kill streak that may as well be called a murderous rampage in the Blue Devils’ volleyball matches last week. Between the team’s two matches, she totaled a whopping 44 kills.
Oct. 1, Duke came close to breaking its 10 — now 11 — match loss streak against Florida State that dates back to 2014. Both teams fought to the nail: with the Blue Devils only one kill behind the Seminoles’ 68, their .325 hitting percentage barely trailing Florida State’s .351 mark, and both teams totalling 79 points.
During the game, Johnson carried Duke in its offensive attack, reaching a season-high 25 kills. In addition, graduate student setter Emma Worthington accumulated 53 assists, just one short of her career high.
The Blue Devils swung back hard against the Seminoles, but didn’t follow through in the final set. Even with Johnson’s formidable .833 hitting percentage, Duke was unable to take the win, and Florida State pulled away 8-15 to take the match.
Friday night, the Blue Devils bounced back and overcame the Fighting Irish, beating them 3-1.
The whole team was on fire, and Johnson was no exception, again leading the team offensively. The Virginia Beach, Va., native totaled three aces, bringing her career total up to 149 — the fifth highest in program history. With 19 kills and 13 digs, Johnson’s performance earned her 23rd career double-double.
-21
Duke seriously put the golf in Golf, Ill., at the Windy City Collegiate Classic last week. Despite not coming out in the top three of the competition, the 18th-ranked Blue Devils’ performance as a team made program history and set individual records.
At 21-under par, Duke women’s golf posted its third-lowest score of all time for a 54-hole, par-72 course. Tied for fourth with Texas and Wake Forest, the team’s overall score was 843, finishing its three rounds with 283, 281 and 279. No. 9 UCLA took the win, posting a 832 overall score and 32-under mark.
Sophomore Andie Smith and freshman Katie Li both set personal records at the competition. Smith’s score of 211 and 5-under made for her best 54-hole score of her career. Li finished with consecutive under-par and even-par scores — 70 and 72, respectively — a career first for her.
Next week, the Blue Devils will head to Dallas to compete in the Jackson T. Stephens Cup, and, with a stroke of luck, might continue to set records.
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